Perry Downtown Historic District
Why it's listed
Perry's downtown historic district is the commercial heart of a village of about 4,000 people in northeastern Wyoming County, New York. Covering roughly 8.5 acres along Main Street and nearby stretches of Borden Avenue, Covington Street and Lake Street, it contains 41 contributing buildings and 4 noncontributing ones. Nearly all date from 1836 to 1930, with the heaviest construction between 1850 and 1918. Most are two-story, attached brick buildings with storefronts at street level and apartments above, giving the streetscape a uniform scale, roofline and setback. Cornices with brackets, dentils and corbelled brickwork are common, and several storefronts have been modernized. Notable buildings include the Beaux-Arts Town Hall, built in 1909 as a bank, and the Neo-Classical Masonic Temple of 1914. The blocks between Covington and Lake Streets, along with the Bussey Block, retain the strongest historic integrity. The village is currently revitalizing six buildings with a state Main Street grant.
Significance in brief: The district is the intact historic commercial center of Perry, with attached masonry storefront blocks of consistent scale, roofline and setback. Its buildings span Greek Revival, Italianate, Romanesque, Classical Revival and Commercial styles, with a building boom from 1850 to 1918. Landmarks include the Beaux-Arts Town Hall and the Neo-Classical Masonic Temple.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 12000212, listed April 16, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. & S. Main, Covington, & Lake Sts., Borden Ave., Perry |
|---|---|
| County | Wyoming County |
| Listed | April 16, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000212 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century Greek Revival; Late Victorian Italianate and Romanesque; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Classical Revival and Commercial Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several buildings are listed as vacant, some with boarded storefronts, while many others are in commercial or residential use. The village is revitalizing 6 buildings through a New York Main Street Grant. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.71830, -78.00211 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 12000212.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707177
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.